others, agree that the American Standard Version gives the clearer meaning with the use of because. God has pro nounced man guilty for two reasons: (1) because he is a sinner; (2) "because by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight." Verse 20 is a vital and an integral part of verse 19. My personal feeling is that the verse division here is not necessary. The two verses should be read together as follows: "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be come guilty before God. Because by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the lawis the knowledge of sin." Thus the argument for man's guilt and condemnation is strengthened. The conclusion is posi tive. Another matter we must not overlook is the absence of the definite article before "deeds" and "law." Paul is not here speaking specifically about the Law of Moses. While the Mosaic Law would be included, he has in mind law in a general sense. "By works of law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight" is, in my judgment, the better render ing of what Paul is saying. I believe this is important because there are those persons, Seventh Day Adventists in particu lar, who cling to some aspect of law as necessary to sal vation. There is some form of legalism in almost every religion. Some stress the necessity of obedience to the ceremonial aspect of the Law, others its moral details, and still others the law our Lord dealt with in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, chapter 5 through 7. Paul is saying that no one will be declared righteous by God because he observed some law, any law. The sum total of human efforts to comply with any or all kinds of law cannot justify a sinner in God's sight. The conclusion is positive. "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (3:20). Law does serve a purpose. Law intensifies the awareness, the con sciousness of sin. God did not give the Law as a goal for sinners to strive after so that they could be saved, but to convince all men that they are sinners and in need of His grace. This important subject is covered quite full in Ro mans, chapter 7. 94
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